Tag Archives: Hashimoto’s Disease

Hello Paleo Diet Team,

I’d like any information you might have on how The Paleo Diet has helped with thyroid issues. I have Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Disease and am having trouble getting consistent thyroid levels with medication. Thank you for your help.

Candice

Trevor Connor’s Response:

Hi Candice,

First a quick clarification on Hyper/hypothyroidism vs Hashimoto’s for our readers. Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is the autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland. We measure TgAB and thyroglobulin to track the progess of the disease. As Hashimoto’s progresses, the thyroid stops functioning properly and the patient experiences hyper- or hypothyroidism. They are tracked by looking at the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4) levels. However, a patient can have hyper- or hypothyroidism without any autoimmune processes.

With that being said, we had 18 Hashimoto’s subjects of which eight provided medical records. Eight of our 18 subjects saw clear signs of improvement following The Paleo Diet and four were able to reduce medication. One of the subjects provided medical records with TgAB and Thyroglobulin levels over three years. His levels improved after going on The Paleo Diet and was eventually able to stop taking medication.

The primary process we are looking at is an imbalance between T-help cells (Th17) and Treg cells in autoimmune conditions. I’ve read a lot of research showing a clear imbalance towards Th17 in people with Hashimoto’s and a fair amount of research has shown that a wheat-based diet can promote a Th17 imbalance.

Trevor Connor is Dr. Cordain’s last mentored graduate student and will complete his M.S. in HES and Nutrition from the Colorado State University this year and later enter the Ph.D. program. Connor was the Principle Investigator in a large case study, approximately 100 subjects, in which he and Dr. Cordain examined autoimmune patients following The Paleo Diet or Paleo-like diets.

I have just finished watching your appearance on Dr. Oz yesterday, and am interested in following up on your comment regarding the need for study groups looking into “Leaky Gut Syndrome.” I have recently been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s autoimmune disorder, after many years of undiagnosed symptoms, much testing, and many life style changing debilitating symptoms. I am currently under the care of a very knowledgeable, thorough nurse practitioner who specializes in functional and integrative medicine. Throughout all of the many doctors I have seen, she is the first to ever talk about “Leaky Gut” and the multitude of symptoms it can cause.

If you know anything about study groups being formed, or have any pieces of advice you would be willing to share with me, I would love to hear!

Thank you for your research and information!

— Martha

Dr. Cordain’s Response:

Hi Martha,

Many thanks for your kind words about my research. We have completed a large (~100) case survey of autoimmune patients including a substantial group with Hashimoto’s and other thyroid. We examined medical records of the patients pre-post adoption of a Paleo Diet, and were encouraged by the results, particularly in autoimmune thyroid patients and those with Crohn’s Disease or ulcerative colitis.

We believe that increased intestinal permeability (“a leaky gut”) may represent an environmental trigger for many autoimmune diseases in genetically predisposed individuals. I have written about the mechanisms involved in the scientific literature (these papers are available as free PDF downloads at my website). In my latest book, The Paleo Answer, I have devoted a number of chapters explaining how various foods compromise intestinal function and promote a leaky gut. The Paleo Diet severely reduces or eliminates these foods (grains, dairy, legumes, potatoes) and describes how patients with autoimmune disease should proceed cautiously with other foods known to cause a leaky gut such as capsaicin (hot) chili peppers, some nightshades, alcohol, antacids, alfalfa sprouts and a few others I describe in my book.

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